Rolling Stoned at the Garden by
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ROLLING STONED AT THE GARDEN

I’ve told you about my dalliance in a New York coffee shop with Paul McCartney (See My Favorite Beatle),  so now let me tell you about my night at the Garden with the Rolling Stones.

Our friends Mary and Frank own a deli and bakery on Mott Street that supplies food to the concessions at Madison Square Garden,  and that connection helped us land some great concert seats over the years.

So when the Stones announced their 2002 Forty Licks World Tour,  and would be at the Garden for one night,  I knew of course it would be a sell-out and I immediately called my friend Mary.

I’m not so much a Rolling Stones fan as a Jagger fan,  and I was dying to see my man Mick up close and personal.  I asked Mary to try for seats for me and Danny as close to the stage as possible,  and since we couldn’t very well go without taking our son,   I asked her to get two (cheaper) seats for Noah and a friend.

Mary came through with great seats for us,   literally a stone’s (!)  throw from the stage,  and separated from Mick’s ever-present ramp by only a measly theatre rope.   What I didn’t realize was that Noah was sitting many tiers above us but by chance had a clear sightline to our seats.

I don’t remember who opened for the band that night,  or even their set list,  I only know Danny and  I were on our feet raging to the music when Mick turned and seemed to look right at me.  Then he pranced off the stage followed by the rest of the band,  and they headed down the ramp in my direction.

What happened next is a blur –  a lot of smokey stuff was wafting through the air that I couldn’t help inhaling and I may have been in a slightly altered state.  But I do remember my son’s voice coming from somewhere way up above me yelling,  “Mom,  you rock!”

It seems this usually sober,  law-abiding librarian had climbed over the theatre rope,  pushed past a security guard,  and was lunging at Mick Jagger.

Unfortunately I missed Mick,  but I did brush Keith Richards’ arm with my right hand.

(I didn’t wash that hand for a week.)

– Dana Susan Lehrman

Profile photo of Dana Susan Lehrman Dana Susan Lehrman
This retired librarian loves big city bustle and cozy country weekends, friends and family, good books and theatre, movies and jazz, travel, tennis, Yankee baseball, and writing about life as she sees it on her blog World Thru Brown Eyes!
www.WorldThruBrownEyes.com

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Tags: Rolling Stones, Rock concerts, Madison Square Garden
Characterizations: been there, funny, moving, right on!, well written

Comments

  1. Suzy says:

    Wow, Dana, Mary and Frank sound like great friends to have! How amazing to have that connection for seats at Madison Square Garden! I love the Stones too, and have seen them in concert a couple of times, but from much farther away! I don’t blame you for lunging at Mick! But you’re lucky you didn’t get dragged away by a security guard.

  2. Marian says:

    Dana, how fun! I saw the Stones twice, once in 1976 and again sometime in the 90s, both from afar. However, in 1976 they played a lot louder, and I’ve wondered if that contributed to my hearing loss (my ears rang for days).

  3. Your story, your shirt, the Stones, Mick, that smoky stuff…yes, I like it, I like it, I like it, Dee!

  4. Betsy Pfau says:

    Wow, Dana, you rock, grrrl! How cool; the hair, the story, the whole thing! I think your grown-out silver will look great, but the memory of that night is super-cool (can’t believe you could even hear Noah’s screams above all that).

  5. Khati Hendry says:

    I saw the Stones once – at the Oakland Colisseum. It was pouring rain throughout the warm-up act but when the Stones took the stage, Mick stopped the rain—and kept it away until the last song when it returned. I didn’t realize Keith Richards was such a comedian—antics made me laugh. No lunging for me, but I can understand how you might get inspired to reach out when so nearby.

  6. So you got what you wanted.

  7. WOW! What a fabulous tale! So thrilled you had that experience and you tell it so well. Guess, you got your satisfaction!

  8. Dave Ventre says:

    It’s a great feeling when an artist or athlete can transport you to another place for awhile!

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